Political observers have been quick to focus on Cantor’s support for piecemeal immigration reforms as the likely reason for his loss to Tea Party-backed David Brat. But Kentucky’s junior senator and potential 2016 presidential candidate Rand Paul differed with that interpretation during a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

Calling it a mistake to pin the surprise result on one issue, Paul said Cantor’s past votes to raise the debt ceiling and an overreliance on negative ads may have contributed to Cantor's loss.

In a bid to expand the GOP tent, Paul has been making overtures to minority groups in recent months – and while he declined to support a bipartisan Senate immigration bill last year, he has signaled an openness to immigration reform.

He said the issue is a complicated one for Republicans, but insists the ball is moving forward.